The Colorado Avalanche are a game down but far from out in their playoff series against a resurgent Dallas Stars. The Stars booked their place in the Western Conference semi-finals after completing a memorable comeback against the Calgary Flames last week – and they suffocated Avalanche in the opening game of the series, winning 5-3. Colorado didn’t quite click in the match, and fans will be praying for a better show tonight. Here’s how to watch the entire Avalanche vs Stars series in the NHL playoffs, starting with game 2 today.
Avalanche vs Stars cheat sheet
The Avalanche take on the Stars in the second-round of the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, with the seven game series running from to August 22 to at least August 28 (game 4) and potentially September 2 (game 7). All the streaming and TV viewing options you need to watch are below – but you can jump out to an early lead right now by saving nearly nearly 50% on ExpressVPN.
But if Avalanche are to gain a foothold in this series, they may have to do it without first-choice goaltender Philipp Grubauer. The German stopper appeared to injure his left leg in the series opener, so coach Jared Bednar will have to turn to his backup Pavel Francouz again. He was brilliant when he came on in the second period of Game 1, saving 18 of the 20 shots he faced.
By their own admission, the Avalanche seemed to shrink under the weight of the occasion at the weekend. They fell behind early on and weren’t able to rally, and if performance levels don’t pick up they could crash out of the Stanley Cup at the same stage they did last year.
The Stars also went out at this stage of the playoffs in 2019, but they’ve entered their groove at just the right moment. The four-month NHL hiatus arrived at the right time for Dallas, who were struggling before the break, but last week’s spectacular against Calgary has got them shining.
Stars captain Jamie Benn was magnificent in the series opener, laying on three assists for his teammates, and goaltender Anton Khudobin, filling in for the sidelined Ben Bishop, did the less glamorous business at the back brilliantly.
Keep reading and we’ll show you exactly how to watch the Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars online and get an NHL live stream from anywhere in the world – don’t miss a single second of the postseason action with the help of our expert guide.
Avalanche vs Stars: round 2 schedule and TV channel details
Here’s a quickfire look at this second round Avalanche vs Stars NHL playoff series.
- Game 1: Sunday, August 22 – Avalanche 3 – Stars 5
- Game 2: Monday, August 24 at 9.45pm ET/6.45pm PT on NBCSN
- Game 3: Wednesday, August 26, 10.30pm ET/7.30pm PT on NBCSN
- Game 4: Friday, August 28, 10pm ET/7pm PT on NBCSN
- Game 5: Sunday, August 30 at TBD on TBD (if required)
- Game 6: Monday, August 31 at TBD on TBD (if required)
- Game 7: Wednesday, September 2 at TBD on TBD (if required)
How to watch NHL blackout games and more with a VPN
Whether you’re watching hockey online or on TV, blackouts can be especially annoying as you won’t be able to watch local games using the league’s streaming service NHL.tv. At the same time, your NHL.tv subscription won’t work like it normally does if you’re trying to watch some hockey when you’re out of the country.
In order to get around blackouts and other restrictions, you’ll need to use a VPN to dial in to a location back in your home country or in a different part of the country if you’re not currently traveling. A VPN is ideal for this as it allows you to change your IP address so that you appear to be in a completely different location where there isn’t currently a blackout.
VPNs are ridiculously easy to set up and use and aren’t just for watching hockey abroad – they’re also a great first line of defence for your online activity and many people use them to get around other geo-blocked websites or to access foreign Netflix content.
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How to stream Avalanche vs Stars live online with NHL.tv
The best end-to-end live streaming option for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs is still NHL.tv, and coverage of Avalanche vs Stars begins at 9.45pm ET/6.45pm PT.
The league’s streaming service normally costs $115.99 for its Single Team Pass or $144.99 for its All Access Pass but due to the fact that the regular season is over and only the playoffs remain, the price of NHL.tv has been heavily reduced to just $9.99.
With NHL.tv, you’ll be able to watch the rest of the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs online for a fraction of the price you would have paid during the regular season.
Keep in mind, though, that blackout and other restrictions still apply to NHL.tv – though as we’ve just explained grabbing a quality VPN and following our instructions above can help you get around them.
Avalanche vs Stars live stream 2020: how to watch the NHL playoff game in the US
Avalanche vs Stars is being nationally televised on NBCSN, and you can also tune into the game via the NBC Sports live streaming website on desktop and mobile, but you will have to enter your cable provider’s credentials to get access to this stream.
Not got cable? There are plenty of over-the-top TV streaming services you can use instead – loads of which come with a completely free trial.
Of the many options, we recommend Sling TV for most NHL fans, as its $30 a month Blue package gets you NBC, NBCSN and USA Network – and a further $10 p/m will get you the Sports Extra add-on you need to watch the NHL Network. That’s $40 in total for all the biggest hockey games this year and a whole lot more, which is considerably cheaper than the competition.
Local games will be shown on your Regional Sports Network (RSN) and this is usually either a regional Fox Sports or NBC Sports channel.
- Hulu – $54.99 per month – Hulu with Live TV gives you access to NBC, NBCSN, CNBC and USA but not the NHL Network. The service supports a wide variety of streaming devices and even includes its own Hulu Originals in case you want a break from watching hockey.
- YouTube TV – $65 per month – YouTube TV gives you access to NBC, NBCSN, CNBC and USA but not the NHL Network. With YouTube TV you get free unlimited DVR storage space to record games for later and you can stream the service on three devices simultaneously. A free 7-day trial is also available so you can test it out for yourself.
- AT&T TV Now – $65 per month – AT&T TV Now’s Plus package comes with NBC, NBCSN, CNBC and USA but doesn’t include the NHL Network. You can stream content on two screens simultaneously (or pay $5 extra to do so on three screens) and with the AT&T TV Now app you can watch live TV on the go. The service also lets you record 20 hours of Cloud DVR storage. New customers can take advantage of a 7-day trial but you’ll have to purchase one of AT&T TV Now’s packages first.
- fuboTV – starting at $54.99 per month – fuboTV gives you access to NBC, NBCSN, CNBC and USA but not the NHL Network. The service also includes Cloud DVR so you can record games to watch them later and if you forget to record a game, the company’s 3-day replay allows you to replay nearly any game, show or movie that aired in the last three days. FuboTV even offers a free 7-day trial so you can test out the service.
Avalanche vs Stars live stream UK: how to watch NHL online
Hockey fans based in the UK can tune into Avalanche vs Stars on Premier Sports 2, with coverage starting at 2.45am BST.
If you’re not familiar with Premier Sports, it and sister channel FreeSports are showing up to 15 NHL games per week exclusively.
NHL.tv is available in the UK but games selected by Premier Sports for live coverage won’t be available through the league’s own service until 24 hours later.
If you’re already a Sky subscriber, adding Premier Sports will cost you £11.99 per month, though Virgin Media customers get a bit of a discount and will only have to pay £9.99 per month.
How to watch Avalanche vs Stars: live stream hockey in Canada
In Canada, Avalanche vs Stars is being shown on SportsNet from 9.45pm ET/6.45pm PT. If you’ve already cut the cord and would rather stream the NHL game online, you can do so with a subscription to Sportsnet NOW.
The premium tier of the service, SN Now+, costs $9.99 a week, $27.99 per month or $20.83 per month with an annual pass. You can also sign up for SN Now for $19.99 per month or $16.67 per month with an annual pass but regional blackouts do apply whereas SN Now+ only has limited blackouts.
Canadians outside of the country can follow the VPN route set out above and tune in to their service of choice regardless of their geography.
How to watch Avalanche vs Stars in Australia for free
NHL fans based Down Under can watch Avalanche vs Stars from 11.45am AEST on ESPN 2, which you can access through the excellent value streaming service Kayo Sports.
Costing either $25 or $35 monthly, it’s far cheaper than Foxtel and you can grab a 14-day FREE TRIAL to test it out. Perhaps best of all, a single subscription can be used simultaneously across multiple devices, meaning you can share one with family or friends and pay less.
If you’re already a Foxtel subscriber, you’ll need to add the premium Sports Pack for an additional $29 per month to your subscription to watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs action.
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